3/09/2001 @ 2:30PM

India's Celebrity Film Stars

You’ve probably never heard of
Amitabh
Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
, known as Big B in India, but when the BBC last year conducted a poll on its Web site to select a “Star of the Millennium,” he easily beat out
Charlie
Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
and
Marlon
Brando
Marlon Brando
to run off with the title.

It may also surprise you to know that the Indian film industry, centered in an area of Bombay known as Bollywood, produces more films per year than any other country in the world. With between 800 films and 900 films hitting the screen every year, these movies are a cinematic staple throughout Asia but are relatively unknown to audiences in the U.S.

While India’s biggest celebrity actors are treated like royalty by an adoring public, they are also the subject of the kind of media gossip that would make a National Enquirer reporter blush. The most popular Indian actors earn about one-twentieth of what their American counterparts make, with top earner Bachchan reportedly barely cracking $1 million per film. And production costs for a Bollywood film are miniscule when weighed against the Hollywood standard. The budget for an Indian blockbuster tops out around $4 million, whereas comparable American films routinely exceed $100 million.

But India’s film industry puts ours to shame in terms of the drama that takes place behind the camera. Feuds between actors are carried out in public and often reach epic proportions; death threats, assaults, extortion attempts and murky financing are all part of the game.

In the past couple of months, the government has made several high-profile arrests and started an investigation into the involvement of organized crime in the film industry. Two key players, director
Nadeem
Rizvi
Nadeem Rizvi
and
Bharat
Shah
Bharat Shah
, a film producer and one of India’s leading diamond merchants, have been charged so far. And allegations ranging from illegal funding from Pakistani terrorists to actors being forced to accept roles at reduced fees have gripped the nation.

Forthwith, Forbes presents the five most powerful Indian film stars. Our power rankings are based on a proprietary formula weighing salary, number of press clips returned on Lexis-Nexis, and by gauging popularity from searches on Dow Jones Interactive and Google.com.

Amitabh Bachchan

Known to many as “the king of Indian cinema,” Big B is the hands-down winner, leading in almost every category we took into consideration. Last December, Bachchan gained the honor of being the first Indian movie star to have his effigy sculpted for Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London. The 58-year-old actor has been in more than 100 films since 1969. His biggest hit, Sholay (Flames), packed theaters throughout its enormously successful five-year run in India.

Buzz

Won last year’s BBC “Star of the Millennium” poll. Revived his flagging career when he became host of India’s version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.

Hrithik Roshan

The son of
Rakesh
Roshan
Rakesh Roshan
, one of India’s most famous directors, the 27-year-old* newcomer has made a sudden impact in just six films, including Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, which currently reigns at the top of the box office. Roshan is often referred to in the Indian media as Bollywood’s next superstar, but he has clearly arrived and already ranks No. 2 in earnings per film behind Bachchan.

Buzz

Roshan is scheduled to be in more than 10 films in the next two years. Created an uproar earlier this year when rumors spread that he told an interviewer he hated Nepal and its people. Riots ensued.

* A previous version of this story stated that Roshan was 23.

Aamir Khan

The son of renowned director
Tahir
Husain
Tahir Husain
was a sensation as a child star in the 1970 hit Yaadon Ki Baaraat. Khan won the Filmfare Best Actor award in 1997. Aamir is the subject of constant media speculation in the so-called “three-Khan race,” a running argument over which of India’s three popular actors with the surname Kahn is the bigger star. While
Salman
Kahn
Salman Kahn
and
Shahrukh
Khan
Shahrukh Khan
are definite contenders, Aamir gets the nod with his recent power move into producing films as well acting.

Buzz

Returned to Bhuj, India, last month after an earthquake devastated the Gujurat village where he shot Lagan, Once Upon a Time in India. Khan was very active in raising relief money for victims of the quake, which claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and left tens of thousands homeless.

Aishwarya Rai

Rai rocketed to international fame after winning the 1994 Miss World contest. Before that, she was a model and architecture student. The 27-year-old actress has appeared in 20 films since taking the crown, nine of them last year. While some critics have panned her acting abilities, lucrative endorsements for Palmolive, Casio pager, Pepsi and Philips Television, and the highest rating on our Web-search ranking, catapult her into the top five.

Buzz

The new Miss Universe, India’s Sushmita Sen, will be gunning for Rai when she begins her acting career this year.

Madhuri Dixit

One of India’s most beloved actresses, Dixit has appeared in more than 50 movies since 1986 and has won the Filmfare Best Actress award three times. Like Rai, she was a top model before becoming an actress. Since her 1999 wedding to an American-trained surgeon, rumors have persisted that she will retire.

Buzz

Caused an uproar when she said she would be more selective in choosing her roles and would avoid typical song-and-dance Bollywood fare.